damaru
Bangara Mastiff
A local breed named after the Bangar district of Tehri Garhwal, which is employed to protect the herds of yak and the flocks of sheep from the attacks of wild animals.
This is a close relative of the Tibetan Mastiff, specially developed by the people of Tehri Garhwal (a mountainous region of the former Punjab hill states in north-west India) to control their livestock in the daytime pastures and, by night, to protect the animals from the attacks of large predators. For this role a powerful, courageous breed was needed and the Bangara Mastiff is such a dog, always ready to risk its life in defence of its livestock. The usual colouring is black-and-tan, but paler coats also occur. The males are up to 25 in (64 cm) in height and have a strong, mastiff muzzle, a compact body and a heavily plumed tail that is curled to one side. The local people do not appear ot have called this dog by a particular breed name. It was given its official title of Bangara Mastiff by the Indian dog expert Major W.V. Soman in 1963. When he retired from the army he was asked to act as a judge at a dog show in Bombay and was dismayed to find that all the animals on display were imported pedigree breeds and that there was not a single native Indian dog to be seen. He set about correcting this by publishing a detailed list of Indian breeds, stating: 'My work will only be fulfilled if we see the pedigreed dogs of Indian origin in dog shows in India'. Where a local breed lacked a specific title, he created one, as with this distinctive mastiff from Bangar.
Bangara Mastiff
A local breed named after the Bangar district of Tehri Garhwal, which is employed to protect the herds of yak and the flocks of sheep from the attacks of wild animals.
This is a close relative of the Tibetan Mastiff, specially developed by the people of Tehri Garhwal (a mountainous region of the former Punjab hill states in north-west India) to control their livestock in the daytime pastures and, by night, to protect the animals from the attacks of large predators. For this role a powerful, courageous breed was needed and the Bangara Mastiff is such a dog, always ready to risk its life in defence of its livestock. The usual colouring is black-and-tan, but paler coats also occur. The males are up to 25 in (64 cm) in height and have a strong, mastiff muzzle, a compact body and a heavily plumed tail that is curled to one side. The local people do not appear ot have called this dog by a particular breed name. It was given its official title of Bangara Mastiff by the Indian dog expert Major W.V. Soman in 1963. When he retired from the army he was asked to act as a judge at a dog show in Bombay and was dismayed to find that all the animals on display were imported pedigree breeds and that there was not a single native Indian dog to be seen. He set about correcting this by publishing a detailed list of Indian breeds, stating: 'My work will only be fulfilled if we see the pedigreed dogs of Indian origin in dog shows in India'. Where a local breed lacked a specific title, he created one, as with this distinctive mastiff from Bangar.